Friday, September 15, 2017

CASSINI SAYS GOODBYE AFTER 13 YEARS ORBITING SATURN

As
of 7:55 a.m. EDT (11:55 GMT), NASA's Cassini spacecraft will have lost
contact with Earth, harrowing in the end of an epic 13-year mission
around Saturn. While at the ringed planet, Cassini captured the hearts
of many with its images and important data of the planet's rings and its
moons including Titan and Enceladus).
Cassini's final chapter
started with its last Titan flyby on Monday (Sept 11) which allowed it
to gain enough momentum to send it heading towards Saturn. Yesterday was
the last time Cassini captured photos of the planet, photographing
Saturn's rings, Titan and Enceladus.
Cassini was sent into
Saturn's atmosphere to burn up to ensure that the probe would not
contaminate the moons Titan and Enceladus - both of which may be capable
of supporting life - with microbes from Earth. The spacecraft was
nearly out of fuel, so mission managers wanted to dispose of Cassini
while they still had control over it.
"We'll be saddened — there's no doubt about it — at the loss of such an
incredible machine," Earl Maize, the Cassini program manager, said
during a news conference Wednesday (Sept. 13). "But I think all of us
[on the Cassini team] have a great sense of pride … We set out to do
something at Saturn, we did it [and] we did it extremely well."
Read more about this fascinating story at: https://www.space.com/38160-when-how-watch-cassini-saturn-dive.html
Image: Artist's rendition of Cassini plunging through Saturn's atmosphere

Article Compiled By: Kyle Tam

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